There's masses to do here with kids, everything is within easy reach, and many of the streets are pedestrianised. The walls give fabulous views across the rooftops to the Minster, and to the countryside beyond. There are plenty of historic places to visit - Jorvik is the jewel in the crown, but there's also Fairfax House, a Georgian townhouse, and the medieval Merchant Adventurers' Hall. If you want to escape the crowds take a boat along the Ouse or head out to the 12-hectare York Maze, to the east of the city, which is open until mid September.

Where to

· Jorvik

Explore Viking history on the site where archaeologists uncovered remains of the Viking Age City. Over the holidays you can see battles and marches, and there are special presentations on Viking weapons at a quarter past each hour. From August 26-28 there's a summer skirmish, plus an encampment where you can meet Vikings.

York is a city of ghosts. Follow your guide through narrow passageways and along dark streets to hear bloodcurdling tales of death and horror ... the kids will love it. www.ghostdetective.com, every Fri, Sat, Sun 7.30pm, leaves from outside the Yorvik Centre, adults £4, children and concessions £2.

· Ice Age exhibition

Find out more about how prehistoric man survived in the Ice Age at the Yorkshire Museum, in an exhibition which features a six-metre-high fridge mountain and takes visitors through different Ice Age landscapes, from the freezing periods, where nothing could survive, to the tropical periods in between, when hippos and hyenas lived in Yorkshire. The museum is set in lovely gardens, so there's plenty of space for children to race around afterwards.